Improvement in lightning-rods



UNITED STATES PATENT Orrrea.

N. BRITTAN, OF LOGKPORT, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN LIGHTNING-RODS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, N. BRITTAN, of Lockport, in the county of Niagara and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Lightning-Conductor; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification Figure 1 exhibiting a central vertical section of the tubular projecting part of the improved lightning-conductor and an edge view of a portion of the main conductor; Fig. 2, a transverse section of the tubular part; Fig. 3, atransverse section of the main part thereof.

Like letters designate corresponding parts in all the figures.

The projecting part is made of tubular form, and I employ in its construction two or more tubes, a b, one placed concentrically within another, and keep them properly separated by rings or washers c c, which closely fit between the adjacent tubes, and thereby serve also as connecting conductors at intervals between said tubes. To the upper end of this tubular portion is secured a point, A, of any suitable construction, taking care to form a good connection between it and each of the concentric tubes.

The main conductor is constructed of two, three, or more strips, eff, of sheet-copper, united and arranged peculiarly, as hereinafter specified. Each strip is of the entire length of the main conductor, and is made in one continuous piece, there being no brazing, riveting, nor any other kind of union of parts from one end to the other. The object of this is that there may be no possibility of any lessening or imperfection of conducting power in any part, to which lessening of or imperfect conduction any kind of connection of separate pieces would be more or less liable, since even soldering or brazing, beside its liability to imperfection and to melting apart, would necessitate the intervention of metal having less conducting power than copper. The width and thickness are such as convenience may seem to direct. But it may be observed that no part of the lightning-rod should have a less amount or metal than is contained in around rod of half an inch in diameter, to secure against any electric shock, although in many instances of electric discharge a smaller rod might be suffi cient. A number of these strips are employed sufficient to furnish the desired amount of conducting-surface. They may be left plane, as shown at e, or be fluted, as shown at ff, or corrugated into any desirable form, to increase the surface within a given space or the rigidty of the conductor or to improve its appearance; and any combination of different forms may be used, as shown in the drawings, or in any other manner desired. They are then laid parallel with each other, and their adjacent surfaces are separated a little distance by the insertion of small washers or blocks of copper, h h, placed at short intervals throughout the whole length of the conductor. Rivets z i are then passed through the strips and intermediate washers and secured, or some other equivalent method employed, so as to bind the whole firmly together. The main conductor thus constructed is united to the tubular projecting part by conforming the shape of the ends of the tubes and of the strips to each other and joining them securely together by brazing, riveting, or otherwise; or the tubular projecting portion may be produced by forming the upper ends of the metallic strips into that or equivalent shape, thus making the whole rod of continuous homogeneous metal from the point to the ground. The whole conductor is secured upon the building or structure with insulators or not, as may be thought proper or preferable.

The principal advantages gained by the above-described construction of lightnin g-conductors are, first, the greatly-increased conducting power or diminution of the mechanical efi'ect of the electricity with the same amount of metal by the use of numbers of their strips, and thereby largely multiplying the surface; second, the largely-enhanced dispersive power by the multiplication of edges and separated surfaces; third, the increased surety of conduction by the use of separate conducting-strips, each of continuous homogeneous metal distinct in their action, yet so connected What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The construction of lightningconductors with parallel continuous strips or tubes of metal, held at a distance apart, and united by inter- I vening Washers or blocks, substantially in the manner and for the purposes herein specified.

N. BRITTAN.

Witnesses J. FRASER. S. J. ALLIs. 

